A Swedish archaeological expedition from the University of
Gothenburg has excavated a previously unknown part of the Bronze Age city Hala
Sultan Tekke (around 1600–1100 BC). The finds include a facility for extraction
of copper and production of bronze objects, evidence of production of luxurious
textiles, as well as ceramics and other objects imported from all over the
Mediterranean but also from central Europe.
‘One of our conclusions is that the Bronze Age culture in
Hala Sultan Tekke played a central role in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus
served as an important node not only for regional but also for more
long-distance trade. We have also realized that the city was larger than
previously thought,’ says Peter Fischer, professor of Cypriote archaeology at
the University of Gothenburg.